The Panama Canal announced it will apply sanctions to some captains of tugboats that affected the traffic through the neopanamax locks, "by refusing to comply with a work instructions."

According to an official statement by the Panama Canal Administration, the decision came after the tugboat captains refused to assist the transit of vessels through the neopanamax locks, which impacted the regular maritime traffic "and caused a negative economic impact for the country, as it affected the image of the Panama Canal."

On the other hand, the union representatives of the captains claim safety issues over their refusal, adding that the sanction is part of a tug privitization plan in the Canal.

Further details on the sanctions, the number of captains implicated, as well as when the incident happened are not provided yet.

The Canal administration, aware of its responsibility to guarantee the safety of its workers and the reliability of the operation, decided to take this measure to safeguard the greater interests of Panama and the Canal.